09/28/2021
Today

The 'Great Gatsby Curve' and Our Dystopian Future

Prasad Krishnamurthy, The Hill

Today's economic mobility numbers give us a glimpse into a possibly dystopian future, one with wide and permanent economic inequality.

The Left's Absurd Belief That America Is Dirt-Poor

David Harsanyi, National Review

The fact that an elected official could believe the U.S. had anywhere near the highest poverty rate in the world tells us a lot about the progressive mindset.

Default Silver Lining Would Be Scrapping the Debt Ceiling

Steven Kamin, RCM

Would you lend money to someone who told you: "I'm going to keep on borrowing until my debt reaches X dollars, and then I'm going to default?" I don't think so. But that's what the U.S. government has been doing, year in and year out, and yet there has been no shortage of people willing to buy U.S. Treasuries. As long as Congress periodically raises the debt ceiling, this arcane rule—which is shared by very few other countries in the world—need not sully the Treasury bonds' promise as the world's safest and most liquid asset. And the world's investors know that Congress will certainly...

Republicans Are Playing Dangerous Game w/Debt

Michael Strain, New York Times

They know the borrowing limit must be raised, one way or another.

The Biden Fib About Companies Paying No Taxes

John Tamny, RealClearMarkets

"Not a penny. That's not right. And my economic plan will change that." So said President Biden on September 16th in typically mawkish fashion. Biden was referencing a list produced by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy that revealed - gasp - 55 corporations that didn't pay taxes in 2020. Naturally the list has given the 46th president a fit of the vapors, and by extension, some political talking points. Did anyone expect someone unoriginal as Biden is to not jump all over this misleading news?

A Search for 2008 In Evergrande Is Fruitless

Joseph Calhoun, Alhambra Investments

US stocks sold off last Monday due to fears over the potential - likely - failure of China Evergrande, a real estate developer that has suddenly discovered the perils of leverage. Well that and the perils of being in an industry not currently favored by Xi Jinping. He has declared that houses are

PMI Pessimism Suggests Bull Market Is On Good Footing

Market Minder, Fisher

It suggests to us the bull market is on fine footing.

Meet Investor Who Found His Fortune In Prosaic Pet Food

Antoine Gara, Forbes

The standard playbook in private equity is to borrow, buy and cut costs ruthlessly. But a massive windfall from investments in PetSmart and Chewy has taught BC Partners Raymond Svider that sometimes, doubling down is a better option.

My Biggest Takeaways from Thinker Interviews

Seth Levine, The Integrating Investor

We live in a golden age of content. There are so many high-quality investor interviews these days and, as result, so much available to learn.

Enduring Relevance of Mises, Hayek's Socialism Critique

Don Boudreaux, AIER

"The fact that the market, thankfully, is so robust as not to grind to a halt at the slightest provocation ought not be mistaken as evidence that government interventions into the economy are harmless unless and until they begin to resemble full-on socialism." ~ Donald J. Boudreaux

Defense of Bidding As Path to Optimal Economic Outcomes

Walter Block, RCM

What is bidding? This is an act of trying to buy something. Waitasec. How can bidding be unacceptable when we all continually attempt to purchase goods and services? We do so not only every day, but practically every hour. Let me count some of the ways.

All the Ways "1 in 5k/Day" Breakthrough Stat Is Nonsense

Justin Feldman, Slate

Asking if breakthrough infections are rare misses the point.

Seven Unconventional Economic Indicators

Bill McBride, Calculated Risk

These indicators are mostly for travel and entertainment. It will interesting to watch these sectors recover as the pandemic subsides. ...

Leading Indicators Show Optimism For the Economy

Ryan Detrick, LPL Financial

Economic Blog Friday, September 24, 2021

Evergrande's Problems Aren't Everybody's Problems

Pat O'Hare, Briefing.com

There's nothing systemic here.

Early Earnings Releases Signal a Theme

Richard Moody, Regions Bank

What to Do in the Case of Sustained Inflation

James Montier, GMO

We look at various instruments that might be thought to protect your portfolio from an inflationary outcome, whether as an inflation hedge or as a store of value.

How COVID Changed Americans' Spending

Ironman, Political Calculations

The arrival of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States in March 2020 and, perhaps more significantly, the lockdown measures that state and local governments imposed on Americans as their response had a major impact on how Americans spent money in 2020.

Did I Miss the Value Turn?

Rob Arnott & Vitali Kalesnik & Lillian Wu, Research Affiliates

The value rebound that started in September 2020 gave up nearly half its gains by mid-May 2021 as the recovery faltered with the onslaught of the highly contagious Delta variant. But vaccination has proven highly effective, and as the unvaccinated around the world become vaccinated, the prospect of a reinvigorated economy is good. Is now a second chance to rebalance into value stocks?

How Peter Thiel Became Most Feared Man In Valley

Eric Spitznagel, New York Post

How the great and powerful Peter Thiel became the most feared man in Silicon Valley.

The Real Stake Over Apple's Remote Work Battle

Shirin Ghaffary & Rani Molla, Vox

Inside the unexpected fight that's dividing the most valuable company in the world.

'Right to Repair' Is Just Common Sense

Ronnie Shows, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

The Biden administration has decided to confront the issue of corporate consolidation and antitrust concerns. This must be a priority; too many Americans are being left on the sidelines of our economy because big companies have too much power to operate without fear of government oversight or marketplace competition.

A Modest Proposal to Raise Federal Revenue

William Smith, Washington Examiner

As a way to tackle drug prices, President Joe Biden recently announced that he supports the so-called "inflation rebate," which would require drug companies to give the federal government any revenue from Medicare drug prices above the general rate of inflation. Senate Finance Committee Chairman…

Bezos, Branson & Musk Should Ignore U.N. Potshots

Editorial, The New York Sun

Messrs. Bezos, Musk, and Branson Dear Jeff, Elon, and Richard — Assume you fellows heard the potshot at the three of you this week by the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres. "When people see billionaires joyriding to space while

Don't Let Partisan Politics Get In Way of Texas Recovery

Glenn Hamer, The Hill

While we may not know how long this pandemic will last, we do know that leaders in Washington must focus on rebuilding our economy.

A Path to Financial Security That Doesn't Lead to a 401(k)

Martha White, NYT

Some Black and Hispanic millennials are looking to alternatives like real estate or entrepreneurship, or to trading stock on their own.

Irony of China's Recent BTC Ban

Peter Earle, American Institute for Economic Research

"With the Evergrande crisis looming in the background, the crypto universe being pilloried by Chinese authorities as a 'growing threat to financial stability' and 'disrupt[ive] to economic order' is more than simply ironic. It is irony at its most mordant." ~ Peter C. Earle

America's Losing China Strategy

Anne O. Krueger, Project Syndicate

After declaring that "America is back" and rejecting almost everything that Donald Trump represented, the Biden administration seemed poised to reclaim the mantle of US leadership within the open market-oriented international order. Yet in its strategy to counter China, it is behaving utterly Trumpian.

Benjamin Graham vs. Jesse Livermore

Ben Carlson, A Wealth Of Common Sense

If we do a tale of the tape, you'll notice many differences between these two legends.

The 6 Highest Yielding S&P 500 Dividend Stocks

Lee Jackson, 24/7 Wall St.

These six stocks, four of which are in the red-hot energy sector, pay the highest dividends in the S&P 500 and look like great total return ideas for income-oriented investors looking for some upside appreciation as well.

Where's the Cheap Beef?

David Frum, The Atlantic

The rising prices at the supermarket checkout are a problem with no simple explanation. But Democratic hopes may depend on finding the right answer.

Shattering the Debt Ceiling Myth

Fisher Investments Editorial Staff, Fisher Investments

Your Portfolio Is Your Problem. I Just Don't Care

J.C. Parets, All Star Charts

The best lessons are learned the hard way. That's just the way life goes. One of the most important things I've come to understand about markets, and life, is that you have to worry about yourself first.

Why Did These Public Companies Get Free PPP Loans?

Lydia DePillis, ProPublica

At least 120 publicly traded companies that received large PPP loans grew their revenues last year and have been allowed to keep the money anyway, according to a ProPublica analysis. The program was built to help small businesses.

Why Bitcoin Isn't a Good Market Hedge

Alicia McElhaney, Institutional Investor

The cryptocurrency is more volatile than equities — but investors shouldn't write it off completely.

Joe Biden Could End the Debt Ceiling — All By Himself

Dylan Matthews, Vox

Minting the trillion-dollar coin, the 14th Amendment, and other ways to finally kill the debt ceiling.

Biden's $3.5 Trillion Bill Is Not Cost Free

Eric Boehm, Reason

Democrats are now relying on the same "dynamic scoring" technique they've previously criticized.

The Control Delusion

Robin Powell, The Evidence-Based Investor

One of the behavioural biases that harm investors' returns is the illusion of control. We fool ourselves into thinking we have control over external events.

Why You Feel So Tired All the Time

Brad Stulberg, Time

And what you can do about it
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